Getting the right amount of water on the haul road often comes down to the experience of the operator. Too little water and dust remains an issue. Too much and trucks can start to lose traction.
Caterpillar's 777-05 water truck is built on the Cat 777E truck platform and, according to Big Yellow, uses less water for controlling haul road dust.
Its design integrates the truck, tank and water delivery system connected with technology.
The truck's Cat Water Delivery System combines with Cat Minestar Edge connectivity to help operations manage the site more safely and productively with flexible levels of technology to meet site needs.
There are a couple of Edge options.
Edge Equipment Tracking delivers basic connectivity without interfering with existing fleet management systems.
Minestar Edge Production Recording is the premium solution. It delivers connectivity with an accurate and automated near-real-time measurement solution that reports on every part of the watering cycle without needing operator input.
It also helps the operation find productivity improvement opportunities. The package includes water use by truck/fill station; volume and rate of water put down over time and area covered; water delivery system setting by location, truck and conditions; activity breakdown with time and distance - watering, not watering or stopped.
The truck is powered by the 765 kilowatt Cat C32B engine.
The Cat Water Delivery System has a self-contained hydraulic system that controls spray patterns independent of engine revolutions for consistent watering.
Variable water flow, based on the truck's speed, automatically starts and stops when the truck slows or comes to a halt, preventing overwatering and subsequent poor traction at road intersections.
The pump has soft startups and automatically shuts off when the tank is empty to prevent system damage.
WDS components include a water cannon, oil cooler, variable displacement pump, hydraulic oil tank, electronic control boxes and a hydraulic motor-water pump.
The system can cover up to a 24m wide road in a single pass. It sprays at rates reaching 0.8 litres per square metre at speeds from 4kph-40kph.
The truck's water cannon has a maximum 61m spray distance with a maximum flow rate reaching 4732 litres per minute.
Factory-installed water controls have been integrated into the truck's design for convenient system operation.
Its automated water delivery feature lets the operator remain focused on driving and site traffic.
The truck comes with a 75,700 litre Caterpillar-branded water tank, a spray system, splash guards, fill chute and rock ejectors. The tank has an automatic shut-off to prevent overfilling.
